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In the impressive Western-style office, the words "Serve the country with utmost sincerity" are pasted on the brown paneled white walls, and a portrait of Mr. Sun Yat-sen hangs in the center. At this moment, Mr. Sun Yat-sen is quietly "watching" the two people in the office.
Chief of Staff Tang, his face ashen, was toying with a silver letter opener in his hand, the blade gleaming coldly. Deputy Commander An stood before his desk, head bowed, not daring to utter a sound, a thin layer of sweat already beading on his nose.
Suddenly, Deputy Commander An's knees buckled and he knelt heavily on the ground, crying and saying, "I will never dare to make decisions on my own again. Please, Chief of Staff Tang, spare my life."
"What does this have to do with me? Deputy Commander An must have come to the wrong person. You've committed insubordination. You should go and beg Commander Gao Junxiao to spare your life." Chief of Staff Tang looked down at the man who was as pathetic as a dog with a forced smile.
"Your subordinate... Your subordinate is just worried that if Gao Junxiao digs too deep, he might dig... dig..." Before Deputy Commander An could finish speaking, a silver light flew past his cheek, and a letter opener was stuck straight into the floor.
Not wanting to look at Deputy Commander An, who was trembling on the ground, any longer, Chief of Staff Tang closed his eyes and pondered the implications. If this idiot could have killed Gao Junxiao, that would have been fine, but he didn't kill him and even left him alive as evidence. Heh, now he's alerted the enemy.
The news of the bandit suppression team's return was only known to those within the headquarters. How could the bandits have known and then deployed assassins? Wasn't it obvious that there was a traitor among them? Normally, he would have cleaned up the mess and severed ties long ago. But this fool was the brother of the fourth concubine of Committee Member Li in Nanjing. Committee Member An was one of the supporters of their Chief of Staff Shi, and they couldn't afford to offend him.
Otherwise, how could their Chief of Staff Shi compete with President Chiang for the top position?
Dodo—please come in!
"Report, Commander Xiong requests that Chief of Staff go to the main conference room for a meeting." The guard's knocking interrupted Chief of Staff Tang's thoughts. He took a deep breath; now he had no choice but to go and meet with Gao Junxiao.
In the large conference room, Gao Junxiao and Chen Yao stood up and saluted amidst enthusiastic applause. Commander Xiong led the applause, his smugness obvious to anyone with eyes.
The battle was fought brilliantly. The anti-bandit team surrounded the bandits with three groups of men, captured the bandit leader alive despite being outnumbered, and recovered the stolen military pay. The officers at headquarters were completely convinced of their skill; the reputation of the "Southern Hawk and Northern Sky" team was well-deserved.
The bandits were too arrogant, even daring to rob military pay. They were simply lawless. Commander Xiong was determined to eliminate them completely. It was not time to celebrate yet. So when Commander Xiong announced that he would wipe out the entire bandit alliance from Xuzhou to Mangshan, everyone just clapped and applauded, as it was something they had expected.
Just as Inspector Gao was about to get up to give his report, Chen Yao, who was standing next to him, stopped him. Chen Yao smiled politely at Commander Xiong and said that he would report on behalf of Inspector Gao because Inspector Gao was ambushed and killed by Yu's bandits on the street yesterday evening and was unfortunately injured and needed several stitches.
Commander Xiong slammed his fist on the table and stood up immediately: "Damn it, what do they think Shanghai is!"
This roar silenced the officers present. In any dynasty, ambushing and killing military and political officials on the street would be a capital offense, let alone happening on our own territory. It was a blatant disgrace to the Nanjing government and Commander Xiong.
Just as everyone was looking at each other, wondering who would be sent to investigate, Gao Junxiao slowly stood up and told Commander Xiong to calm down. He had already asked his friends in the police station to classify it as a gang fight, and he was just unlucky to have been caught in it. It would not affect the reputation of the headquarters or Nanjing.
Commander Xiong's brows relaxed somewhat at Gao's handling of the situation, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Chief of Staff Tang thought to himself that Gao Junxiao had handled it brilliantly, putting the overall situation first and not damaging the face of either side.
While he hadn't lost face yet, he was about to lose face. Tang Wenzhong felt that as the second-in-command of the Songhu Garrison Command, he had to do something: "Commander, I suggest that you be assigned two guards to protect Director Gao 24 hours a day. In addition, I have some connections with the inspectors in the concession, so I will definitely investigate thoroughly."
"Heh, Chief of Staff Tang is truly a genius. How did you determine it was the bustling area of the concession? You weren't actually there, were you?" Chen Yao sneered.
Tang Wenzhong's heart skipped a beat, but he smiled as usual and replied, "Commander Chen is joking. What kind of status does Director Gao have? He just received his salary yesterday. Would he go to such low-class places? Of course, it has to be the bustling city center of the concession to be classy enough. Don't you think that makes sense, Director Gao?"
“Chief of Staff Tang is right. It is indeed in the concession. However, I understand your suggestion. The guards have their own duties. How can I take up public resources? If this gets out, the reporters will make a big deal out of it, saying that we revolutionary soldiers live extravagantly and waste taxpayers’ money,” Gao Junxiao said with a sense of righteousness.
Was this a sarcastic remark? Tang Wenzhong pretended not to understand and replied in agreement with Gao Junxiao, "Since they are the remaining bandits, then it is part of the bandit suppression, and it should be under the full responsibility of Governor Gao. Governor Gao has only been here for a short time, and I have some connections. As a colleague, I should of course give Governor Gao some convenience."
"If you can do me any favors, I will be extremely grateful. I will need your help many times in the future," Gao Junxiao said, straightening his posture with neither arrogance nor servility.
"Chief of Staff Tang, you and Commander Xiong are both superiors of us, one and a half ranks above us. You must keep your word and not break your promise. After all, so many ears are listening," Chen Yao said leisurely, blowing on his fingernails.
As everyone watched the three talking, something seemed off. So, why did Inspector Gao take on this himself? If he wasn't going to let Chief of Staff Tang lead the investigation, why did he need his help? They were increasingly confused by the situation.
Only Chief of Staff Tang nodded slightly in agreement, already plotting how to sacrifice a pawn to save the king; they had their eyes on him.
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The lush plane trees lining both sides of the street rustled rhythmically in the night breeze. The spring night breeze is always so comfortable and refreshing.
A white dress and red skirt accentuated her tall figure as she walked along the winding, narrow path. After confirming that no one was following her, He Qingcheng knocked on the wooden door of a house with a distinctive rhythm. The dark wooden door opened a crack to let her in before quickly closing again.
The interior is a traditional Chinese courtyard, with several mahogany chairs placed on either side of the room; this is Wang Renyong's old lair.
Qi Kejun poured hot water for Qingcheng, and the two sat and exchanged pleasantries. His wife had already found a job as a surgeon at the hospital, and the most difficult days were over. Once he also found a job, the children's tuition fees would be guaranteed, and they would also hire a nanny for their youngest son to make things easier for his wife.
Qingcheng was genuinely happy for Qi Kejun upon hearing this news. She had immense respect for Mrs. Qi, who not only had to work but also raise three children. Previously, she had also helped organize fundraising and relay messages. Qingcheng couldn't even imagine such a comprehensive ability; she herself was already exhausted just managing to do two of those things.
However, such remarkable women are said to be commonplace within their organization.
"Hehe, what's this?" Wang Renyong's loud voice suddenly came from behind. Before Qingcheng could react, he picked up the yellow thermos that Qingcheng had placed beside him, examined it with curiosity, slightly lifted the lid to take a look, and then put it back on the table: "Oh, I didn't know you were so virtuous, little comrade. You can even make soup."
"Section Chief Wang, you should have read the learning summary I sent first. Don't be so clumsy and spill it." Qingcheng resisted the urge to roll her eyes, quickly got up, closed the lid tightly, and glared fiercely at Wang Renyong.
"What's the rush? I'll check in a bit. Hehe, you're the one who wanted to make this soup. I didn't tell you to use your 'honey trap' to win a man's heart through his stomach." Wang Renyong couldn't help but tease. "That was old pigeon and cordyceps soup, right? It's a great tonic for replenishing qi and blood, especially suitable for people who have been shot."
Seeing his greedy look, Qingcheng nervously turned away and immediately chased him away to prevent Wang Renyong from coveting it, saying, "Go away, there's none for you."
Wang Renyong pretended to snatch it again: "Hey, you've eaten so many meals from me that I can't even count them all. A sustainable comradeship requires give and take."
"I'll definitely do it next time." Qingcheng nimbly hid behind Comrade Qi. Although there's an old saying that you're obligated to someone who feeds you, she wasn't worried about having too many debts to repay, so she decided to let it go for now.
"Then what's the next date? I'll write it down in my schedule so I don't forget." Wang Renyong took out a small notebook from his pocket, pretending to write down the time.
"Don't tease her, Renyong. Xiao He has a good temper. If she were a petty woman, she would have turned on you when you opened the lid." Comrade Qi spoke the truth.
"How about we each cook a dish now, and let Comrade Qi judge who made the best one?" Qingcheng asked with a smile, blinking her eyes.
“Young comrade, you’re challenging the title of our army’s culinary master. I accept the challenge.” Wang Renyong put away his notebook. “But not now. Next month is Ai Rui Rui’s birthday. Let’s spend it with her and check on the living conditions of the other comrades.”
"Section Chief Wang, don't scare me. Otherwise, people will say we're petty bourgeoisie and not frugal enough." Qingcheng pouted, looking unwilling.
"She's all bark and no bite. Actually, Rui Rui is a very nice person. Last time during the exam, she came as soon as I called her. She was just worried that you guys wouldn't be able to handle it," Wang Renyong explained.
“Then I’ll bring my wife along. We don’t have any friends in Shanghai, so we can all have some fun together.” Qi Kejun advised Qingcheng, “Xiao He, not everyone is born to be treated gently. I learned about Rui Rui’s past from Ren Yong and that’s why she was so extreme. Rui Rui had a very hard life before.”
“She was just starting to learn literacy at the union’s night school when she was sixteen, while you were already publishing novels at that time,” Wang Renyong added.
"But she didn't learn to read until she was sixteen. Was it my fault?" Qingcheng was speechless.
"Of course it wasn't your fault. I just hope that our class friendship won't be damaged by superficial things. If you're ready, let's begin today's lesson. Today we'll learn about the importance of industrialization to social progress." Wang Renyong once again acted as a peacemaker.
After the study session, Wang Renyong kept He Qingcheng behind to discuss her make-up exam.
“Well, I’ve thought about your make-up exam for a long time. I think you should focus on practical skills,” Wang Renyong said seriously. “I need you to go to the Songhu Garrison Command and meet with the comrade codenamed Peony to get a map.”
“But many people at headquarters know me, so I can’t disguise myself or use a fake identity. If I want to go, I have to use my public identity, but wouldn’t using my public identity violate the taboo of secrecy?” Kiyosumi asked hesitantly.
“Actually, when we’re really working, we don’t have that many taboos. There’s a type of operative who works behind enemy lines and uses their public identity to cover up their secret identity. I call these comrades who are infiltrating on the front lines, but they are also the most difficult to work with. Once exposed, they may implicate their relatives and friends.” Wang Renyong’s eyes revealed a hint of worry.
“It’s settled then. I’ve actually wanted to check out my boyfriend’s workplace for a while now, and I definitely won’t do anything unnecessary.” Kiyosumi’s eyes shone with a star-like brilliance.
Wang Renyong could only laugh along: "Alright, you're so clever. When you get to headquarters, be careful not to ask what you shouldn't ask and not to say what you shouldn't say. This is the token for making contact. That person has a pocket watch that is almost exactly the same, only the pattern on the case is slightly different. His is a peony."
Isn't this the pocket watch that Old Wang always wears? Qingcheng took it and carefully examined the pattern on the case. It was a fine-brush peony and butterfly design, and inside was just an ordinary dial.
"Is the other person male or female? How old are they? Tell me so I can find them," Kiyosumi asked, putting away her pocket watch.
“You’d better not know this now. As long as you wear this pocket watch, Peony will naturally come looking for you,” Wang Renyong explained. “Comrade Peony has been in contact with me through a single channel for a long time. He only takes out his pocket watch when we meet. He’s been looking for an opportunity to bring that map out, but unfortunately there are too many eyes around him, so I have to send someone to retrieve it.”
"Okay, Section Chief Wang, if you have no other instructions, I'll be going now." Qingcheng said goodbye hastily, thinking that she still had to deliver the soup. She carried the thermos and walked quickly out of the alley, just as she brushed past a black sedan.
A wisp of night fog gradually rose, obscuring the lights of countless homes in the distance.
When Qingcheng arrived at Gao Junxiao's door, she hesitated again. It was so late, wouldn't he be asleep? Besides, he didn't live alone, and it wouldn't be good to disturb Brother Chen's rest.
Instead of joking with them, Qingcheng placed the yellow thermos flask near the door, knocked, turned off the corridor light, and quickly ran up the stairs to hide. A moment later, Gao Junxiao cautiously peeked out and spotted the thermos flask.
He crouched down and examined the thermos carefully, then picked it up cautiously, as if searching for something different. Qingcheng stood on the stairs and chuckled to herself, thinking, "How could he be so naive? Does he really think she's an assassin?"
"Qingcheng, come out." Gao Junxiao suddenly called out into the pitch-black corridor.
Oh dear, you guessed it! Qingcheng ran briskly to Gao Junxiao and said directly, "I've brought you some food. Grab some quickly."
"Huh? It's so dark in the corridor, isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Gao Junxiao said shyly, a blush slowly spreading across his face.
"It's just too dark, that's why I'm letting you lick it." Seeing Gao Junxiao dawdling, Qingcheng touched the wall and pressed the switch for the corridor light, restoring the corridor to its original brightness.
"Oh, you mean press it once, right?" Gao Junxiao looked disappointed, but quickly smiled again. "We'll go inside and leave you standing at the door for ages."
"It's too late, it's not a good look." No matter how progressive He Qingcheng's thinking was, it was still not appropriate for her to go to a man's room at night.
“We’re both perfectly aboveboard, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. Besides, Chen Yao went out drinking and won’t be back for a while. Why don’t you finish this soup with me before you go?” Gao Junxiao held Qingcheng’s hand, not letting her leave.
Hearing that Chen Yao wasn't in the room, Qingcheng's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. It took her a while to finally manage to say, "But it's not good for a man and a woman to be alone in a room late at night."
“You’re looking to improve yourself, aren’t you? Your feudalistic ideas about boys and girls not sitting together after the age of seven need to be overthrown. Come in.” Gao Junxiao smiled and put his arm around Qingcheng’s waist, half-pushing and half-leading her into the room. “It’s not as difficult as you think. You can come in now. My room is very clean.”
Oh no, her father's coffin lid is really about to burst open. Qingcheng felt like she was dreaming, her feet were light on the ground. She tried to appear calm, but the man's suppressed laughter broke her composure, and she angrily punched him.
"Ouch, that hurts, the wound hurts a bit." Gao Junxiao clutched his wound in pain.
"I'm so sorry, I forgot." Qingcheng hurriedly apologized and helped him sit on the sofa, nervously starting to pull off the man's sweater. "Did the wound reopen? Let me check it quickly."
"Stop, stop, stop, I was just kidding, really." To avoid Qingcheng's attack, Gao Junxiao grabbed her hand and put it back on his knee, a flash of panic in his eyes.
"Okay, I believe you. Do you need your dressing changed later? I can help you change it." Qingcheng climbed onto his arm again, revealing an "innocent" smile. Looking at Gao Junxiao's embarrassed appearance, who was usually so eloquent, she couldn't be happier.
She almost got fooled by this bastard just now. She wasn't very strong, and she hit his chest, not his shoulder or waist. She realized that he was just pretending to gain sympathy, so He Qingcheng decided to teach Gao Junxiao a lesson and figure out that he wouldn't dare to do anything reckless.
"This... I can't accept this. Did you cook the soup yourself?" Gao Junxiao immediately changed the subject.
"If it's delicious, then I cooked it; if it's not, then I bought it." Qingcheng didn't directly answer the man's question.
"You must have cooked it. What was it?" Gao Junxiao blurted out without hesitation.
"The pigeon and cordyceps soup is good for replenishing qi and blood, and it will help your wound heal faster. If you can't eat today, don't force yourself. Reheat it tomorrow and drink it. Don't drink it cold," Qingcheng earnestly instructed. "If you think it's bland, don't add salt. Eating too much salt is not good for wound healing."
"How could we not finish it? I'll go heat it up." Gao Junxiao was about to heat up the soup with a smile when Qingcheng quickly grabbed his arm and made him sit down while she went to cook it herself.
Gao Junxiao was about to refuse when Qingcheng tapped his nose with a finger and winked mischievously: "Special supply for the wounded. You won't get it again if you want it later. Think it over carefully."
"Since it's a special offer, is there a service to feed the soup?" Gao Junxiao pressed on, "Ideally, a lady in a red dress would feed it to you."
Kiyosumi could hardly believe her ears. "You think you can take advantage of me just because I gave you a little credit?" she thought. She tossed out a dismissive "Dream on!" and nonchalantly went to heat the soup.
Soon, a delicious aroma wafted from the small kitchen. Before Qingcheng could call him, Gao Junxiao suddenly appeared, took out a bowl and chopsticks from the cupboard, and eagerly held the empty bowl, like a child who had been hungry all day rushing to the cafeteria for food, his eyes full of longing.
This gave Qingcheng the illusion that she was a cafeteria worker serving food, but then she thought, "Oh well, I'll just serve it to him anyway, since he's injured." Every time she saw his obedient appearance, she couldn't harden her heart.
The two sat facing each other at the table, one eating with relish, the other watching with contentment.
Gao Junxiao raised his eyes and glanced at the beauty. Although he didn't have much hope, he still asked, "Qingcheng, my wound starts to ache at night, especially my arm, which feels a bit numb. Could you move your arm...?"
Before Gao Junxiao could finish his sob story, Qingcheng scooped a spoonful of soup and held it to his lips. The sudden joy overwhelmed every cell in Gao Junxiao's body, and his heartbeat became even more erratic. He stared intently at He Qingcheng, as if afraid she would change her mind, and drank the soup in one gulp.
Qingcheng looked stunning in her red dress today; in fact, she looks absolutely gorgeous in red, which accentuated her delicate and charming features, making her incredibly endearing. I just wonder if she likes wearing bright red cheongsams?
Just as she was daydreaming, Qingcheng had already collected the empty bowls and was about to wash them when Gao Junxiao immediately told her to put them down seriously. What a joke! How could he let her do such rough work? Her hands are the hands of a scholar who writes with a pen.
"Then you should rest. I'll be going now. By the way, when are you planning to return my umbrella?" A hint of a smile appeared in her clear eyes.
"Let me get ready first. I'll take you home; the neighborhood isn't safe at night." Gao Junxiao wanted to spend more time with her, but he had other ideas about returning the umbrella.
"No..." Qingcheng was about to refuse when suddenly all the lights went out. As if she had thought of something, her expression changed and she asked coldly, "Does your neighborhood often experience power outages?"
"It wasn't like this before, it's only today." Gao Junxiao was completely baffled.
"I've changed my mind. Take me home," Qingcheng said in a commanding tone. Gao Junxiao didn't seem to mind. After changing his shoes, the two went downstairs together.
When they got downstairs, Qingcheng saw Gao Junxiao holding the thermos like it was a doll, and asked with a smile, "Why are you carrying it? You can just leave it at home if you haven't finished it."
"It's alright, I'm just worried that Chen Yao might come back too soon and get eaten by him, so I feel more at ease having him in my hands." Gao Junxiao knew that Chen Yao wouldn't come back unless he was drunk, but he was always just in case.
"Could you share some with Brother Chen? I already burned too much," Qingcheng said generously.
Gao Junxiao just smiled meaningfully; he wouldn't give it to him.
When they arrived at Fuxing Park, Qingcheng leaned close to him and whispered that the news had recently reported that some thieves would scout out a place first, then turn the power off and on again at the target's house, and then turn it off again when they were actually stealing. The homeowner would assume it was an electrical problem and become less vigilant.
After Qingcheng's reminder, Gao Junxiao suddenly understood. Haha, these people still haven't given up.
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